SpaceX is preparing to launch its Polaris Dawn mission before July 31 to send astronauts on the first spacewalk using a private spacecraft. Unlike previous missions by NASA and other space agencies, SpaceX is expected to use its Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket, the timeline revealed in a short message on the Polaris Dawn mission’s social media account, X.
The Polaris Dawn mission, in addition to being the first spacewalk by a private company, is also the highest manned spacecraft mission of 700 kilometers above Earth since the Apollo program in the past, and at an altitude higher than the orbit of the International Space Station, which orbits at an altitude of about 400 kilometers.
The Polaris Dawn mission will launch in 2022 following the successful completion of the Inspiration4 mission, which sent four astronauts into orbit around Earth using a private space agency. It is funded by Jared Isaacman Scott, CEO of Shift4, an online financial services company. The mission will have a crew of four: Jared Isaacman, Scott Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon.
While details of the Polaris Dawn mission have not yet been revealed, many details have been revealed. The spacewalk, which is expected to be conducted by astronauts Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis, will take about two hours and was designed and developed by SpaceX. A safety harness and life support system connect the astronaut's suit to the equipment inside the spacecraft to maximize safety during the mission.
In addition, on the Polaris Dawn mission, astronauts will conduct other scientific tests to advance space technology, including testing the Dragon Laser Interlink system using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, which will increase data transmission speeds in space to be more efficient.
A source of information X.com, Polaris Dawn, MSN, space
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